Japan Presses Rubio After Marine Murder Arrest in Okinawa
(MENAFN) Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi voiced “regret” to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the alleged robbery-murder of a Japanese national in Okinawa, in which an American Marine has been arrested, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said.
The two men agreed by phone to consult on steps to keep such incidents from happening again, according to a ministry statement posted on X.
Motegi “reiterated the Japanese government’s position, including expressing regret over this incident,” the ministry said.
The ministers also “confirmed that Japan and the United States would hold consultations to take effective measures to prevent the occurrence of such incidents,” it added.
The US State Department gave its own account of the call. The diplomats “reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.-Japan Alliance, which is the cornerstone of peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond,” it said.
The department added: “Secretary Rubio expressed sincere condolences over the death of a Japanese national in Okinawa, as well as the United States’ determination to communicate and fully cooperate with the Government of Japan and local authorities as they conduct an investigation,”
Police arrested Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, on Sunday on suspicion of killing Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in Naha, the Okinawa prefectural capital. Ballard is assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. He has denied wrongdoing, and his case has been referred to prosecutors.
The killing has set off protests in both Okinawa and Tokyo and revived demands to revisit the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement, the pact governing American military personnel stationed in Japan.
On Friday, Okinawa’s prefectural assembly passed a resolution demanding a “fundamental review” of the agreement and pressing the US military to adopt measures “to prevent a recurrence.”
Okinawa hosts about half of the roughly 50,000 US troops stationed in Japan.
Tokyo has separately summoned the US ambassador and the American forces commander in Okinawa to deliver formal protests over the case.
The two men agreed by phone to consult on steps to keep such incidents from happening again, according to a ministry statement posted on X.
Motegi “reiterated the Japanese government’s position, including expressing regret over this incident,” the ministry said.
The ministers also “confirmed that Japan and the United States would hold consultations to take effective measures to prevent the occurrence of such incidents,” it added.
The US State Department gave its own account of the call. The diplomats “reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.-Japan Alliance, which is the cornerstone of peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond,” it said.
The department added: “Secretary Rubio expressed sincere condolences over the death of a Japanese national in Okinawa, as well as the United States’ determination to communicate and fully cooperate with the Government of Japan and local authorities as they conduct an investigation,”
Police arrested Lance Cpl. Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, on Sunday on suspicion of killing Anna Yagi, 39, at a hotel in Naha, the Okinawa prefectural capital. Ballard is assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma. He has denied wrongdoing, and his case has been referred to prosecutors.
The killing has set off protests in both Okinawa and Tokyo and revived demands to revisit the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement, the pact governing American military personnel stationed in Japan.
On Friday, Okinawa’s prefectural assembly passed a resolution demanding a “fundamental review” of the agreement and pressing the US military to adopt measures “to prevent a recurrence.”
Okinawa hosts about half of the roughly 50,000 US troops stationed in Japan.
Tokyo has separately summoned the US ambassador and the American forces commander in Okinawa to deliver formal protests over the case.
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